Her story

Fenella is Head of Legal & Risk, Company Secretary at me&u, one of Australia’s premier digital ordering platforms.Having worked as both a private and in-house lawyer, Fenella has established herself as a leader in the legal industry.

Without mentioning your job title, how would you describe what it is you do now (whether at home, work, in the community, etc.)?

I manage an exciting workload across several jurisdictions in a dynamic organisation. I provide advice to our CEO and Board, liaise with shareholders, negotiate contracts and guide our team through corporate transactions. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities to grow our business while balancing risks to achieve the best outcomes for the company and our customers.

What are the first three words you think of when you hear the word ‘diversity’?

inclusion, representation, leadership.

What do you think it will take to develop truly diverse thinking within the legal industry?

To entrench truly diverse thinking I think it needs to be embraced at every level in a firm or organisation. I’m seeing a lot of positive change particularly in relation to female leadership and acceptance of flexible work arrangements which wasn’t the case when I started out. These changes go a long way to entrenching diversity as the norm.

What was your main driver to enter the legal industry?

An interest in justice and problem solving that lent itself to a legal career.